LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL League Two Men’s team defeated Laredo Heat SC in the League Two Playoffs on Friday afternoon, 2-1, in a physical match that carried into extra time. Goals from Andres Morral and Ronaldo Belgrove lifted Fort Lauderdale over a Laredo team that had only lost one of its 12 matches in the regular season. With the victory in the Round of 32, Fort Lauderdale United advances to the Round of 16 to take on Sarasota Paradise – a team it has yet to defeat this season.
The first half got off to a back-and-forth start, but an early red card in the 10th minute on a Laredo defender gave Fort Lauderdale a clear advantage for the rest of the match. Right before the end of the first half, midfielder Carlos Zambrano made an incredible solo run, making multiple Laredo defenders miss before being fouled inside the box, earning a penalty kick. Morral stepped up to the spot, sent the keeper the wrong way and fired the ball into the left side of the net to give Fort Lauderdale the lead in the 45th minute. Just over a minute later, Laredo equalized on an impressive shot. After a pair of late goals, the clubs went into the halftime break tied at 1-1.
Both teams came out of the halftime break with intensity, with each putting shots on frame and testing the opposing goalkeeper. As the clock approached the 90th minute, Laredo was shown a pair of red cards, totalling three for the match. Despite Fort Lauderdale playing a man up for nearly the entire second half, neither team was able to find the back of the net, and the teams were off to extra time.
Fort Lauderdale entered the final 30 minutes with a three-man advantage, and the club capitalized quickly. In the 95th minute, Belgrove made his way into Sarasota territory. The forward took a pair of dribbles inside the box, cut inside and fired a screaming right-footed shot past the Sarasota keeper to give Fort Lauderdale the advantage in extra time. Over the final 25 minutes, the Fort Lauderdale United defense continued to hold strong down the stretch. After 120 minutes, Fort Lauderdale secured a 2-1 victory over Sarasota Paradise on the road, advancing to the Round of 16 in the process.
Back In Action
Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL League Two team will return to the pitch on Sunday, July 20 for the Round of 16 in the League Two Playoffs against Sarasota Paradise. The clubs met twice during the regular season, with Sarasota winning both matchups. With kick-off set for 7:30 p.m., Sunday’s match will be a season-defining matchup for the Fort Lauderdale United squad.
